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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27054463">End of the Show</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasoInNirvana/pseuds/MasoInNirvana'>MasoInNirvana</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Untouchables [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crying, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I Ship It, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Nightmares, Not Beta Read, One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:08:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,674</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27054463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasoInNirvana/pseuds/MasoInNirvana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwai said nothing as they stare at each other for a long time. Somehow, Iwai knew this will happen soon.</p><p> </p><p>When they sleep that night, Iwai dreamed of sweet kisses and a whisper of,</p><p> </p><p>"I'll come back to you."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amamiya Ren/Iwai Munehisa, Iwai Munehisa/Kurusu Akira, Iwai Munehisa/Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Untouchables [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>End of the Show</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>:)</p><p>Two weeks ago, I've reached the ending of Persona 5 Royal. I'm so satisfied.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iwai was having his normal day, nothing special or different since the morning he woke up. Then afternoon and evening, it almost time for him to close his shop. The radio still informing about the Phantom Thieves, psychotic breakdowns, and Masayoshi Shido but, none of that interests him. He supposes to have his normal boring day and he simply only about to take out his trash when something caught his eyes. In the alley, he saw someone dressed in black laying on the dirty pavement.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly he reaches for his gun, then moves closer. It supposes not his business but, something inside him screaming that the person needs help. When he close enough, he nudged their shoulder, "Hey." He called.</p><p> </p><p>No response.</p><p> </p><p>Once he flips them, he was shocked only to found a young man heavily injured with bruises all over his body. The young man looked beautiful indeed but, his face scrunch up in pain. Iwai put his gun away, gathering the unconscious young man and bring him to his shop. After making sure they are safe, he locked his shop from inside and starts treating the young man.</p><p> </p><p>~◇◇◇~</p><p> </p><p>The next day Iwai was leaning by the window, watching the TV while enjoying a cup of coffee in his living room, then greeted with a gun by the now conscious young man he saved last night. "That's how you say your "Good morning" to the person who saved your ass last night?"</p><p>The young man's hand was trembling while holding the gun he said nothing, his eyes unfocused and it looks like he would collapse anytime. Iwai put away his cup calmly and holding up both of his hands, "I was so sure I hide the gun earlier, but it's not important now. Put the gun away, we can talk." Iwai only taking his sweet time, he knew the young man would not keep pointing the gun at him forever by the way he starts to sway. "If I'm here to hurt you, I should have done it while you unconscious, right? It will be easy. Really. Now, put the gun away. Don't hurt yourself more."</p><p> </p><p>A dark chuckle left the young man's mouth, but before he could do anything, the gun dropped suddenly, both of the young man's hands pressed to his mouth. "Bathroom to your left." Iwai supply helpfully. Within a second the young man rushes into it and throws out into the bowl, hacking out what left from his stomach.</p><p> </p><p>Iwai shook his head and goes to pick up the weapon to put it away. He goes to his small kitchen to pour a glass of water for the poor young man. His TV in the living room now announcing the updated news of the Phantom Thieves, while the leader is missing, the rest of the Thieves were captured to be sentenced to death. Well, none of that is Iwai business.</p><p> </p><p>He retrieves the glass of water to the bathroom, there's no sound inside, the silent almost scares Iwai that he couldn't help but think of what-ifs. He knocks twice, "You done there?" </p><p> </p><p>No response.</p><p> </p><p>Iwai pushes the door open revealing the young man leaning against the tub, his eyes were distant. "What…are you waiting for...just end it already." The young man murmured. Iwai approached him slowly and helped the young man to drink but only to met with resistance.</p><p>"They all gonna die…it's all my fault." It didn't take long for the young man to start sobbing.</p><p> </p><p>Of fucking course.</p><p> </p><p>This young man is the Leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves. Too young for what had he done. "You are too young to killed someone, kid."</p><p> </p><p>"It's not our fault! We were trapped! They baited us into it and now we failed, they won... I failed…" he sobs.</p><p> </p><p>Iwai lets the young man breaks, once a while he pushes the glass to the young man's mouth slowly letting the young man sips the water. Thank God he didn't meet with any resistance anymore. </p><p> </p><p>~◇◇◇~</p><p> </p><p>The kid didn't say anything after that, mostly he just sleep day and night. Iwai kept asking himself why the hell he helped the kid. If the reason is Kaoru, he didn't want to fucked up anymore. Kaoru is enough. After all these years, the guilt still haunts him.</p><p> </p><p>It becomes a routine since he found the young man. When he got home, he will check on Akira immediately. Fed him since the kid's hand trembling so much to hold a spoon. Tend his wound and talk when Akira is in the mood. There are a few nights when the kid refuses to eat anything and begs Iwai to end his life.</p><p> </p><p>"Why are you helping me?" Akira asked, his eyes not meeting Iwai's. Iwai watches him carefully, "You looked a lot like my deceased son."</p><p> </p><p>"…I see." Was all Akira said.</p><p> </p><p>~◇◇◇~</p><p> </p><p>On a rare night, Iwai would put on a movie so they could watch together. It was when he noticed how Akira squint his eyes hard enough. It took all of his strength to step into his son's room to fetch a pair of glasses, "I'll borrow this, Kaoru." He said to the empty dark room.</p><p>When he walks back to Akira, he told the kid to use it which is Akira agreed without any further comment. Then they watched in silence with Akira no longer squinting his eyes and more relaxed than ever.</p><p> </p><p>Iwai started awake by a scream, out of reflex he pulls out his gun that he hid under the pillow and pointing to whatever the hell moving in his living room since he sleeps there.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>He starts to panic once he realized the scream is coming from his room. "Akira!" He bolted up. He shoves the door open, ready to fight whoever coming to hurt Akira. But, once he is inside. His eyes soften, sad, and hurt.</p><p> </p><p>Akira was thrashing in the bed, fighting invisible threats. Sobbing out and begging them to stop hurting him. Iwai wastes no time and pulls Akira out of his nightmare. The young man gasped awake, eyes full of terror, and clinging to Iwai crying and screaming himself hoarse.</p><p> </p><p>It happens again the next night, and Iwai having it enough when the third night in a row. He found Akira curling in fear under the bed that he didn't clean for years, Akira refused to crawl out of the dusty place even when the morning comes. None of them sleep that day.</p><p> </p><p>The next night, Iwai refused to let Akira sleep alone. Which is explained why Iwai shared a bed with the young man. Akira didn't say anything as he buried his face to Iwai's neck. He sleeps fitfully that night with Iwai's promise of keeping him safe.</p><p> </p><p>A few days later, their usual evening was interrupted by an uninvited guest. A black cat with a yellow collar jumps in from the window. Iwai was about to kick the cat out but stopped when Akira squeals in happiness. The cat runs toward Akira and wastes no time clinging to Akira who welcomed the cat with open arms. Iwai watched them for a moment before the cat shoves itself away and starts meowing nonstop as if it can talk.</p><p> </p><p>"Really?!" Was Akira's answer. </p><p> </p><p>Iwai was worried if Akira unconsciously has a mental illness after locked up with Iwai for a few weeks. But, the cat wouldn't stop meowing. Then it hops off from Akira's lap and darts toward the opened window. Akira calls out for it and the cat stopped then meowing again a few times. After Akira give it a stern nod, it left.</p><p> </p><p>That night, they spent the time lounging in the living room watching the late-night show. They ask each other nothing as Akira settles himself in Iwai's lap comfortably. He is content with Iwai's hand stroking his hair absentmindedly. Akira turns around facing Iwai, he cups Iwai's face with both of his hands. "Do you trust me?" He whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Iwai said nothing as they stare at each other for a long time. Somehow, Iwai knew this will happen soon.</p><p> </p><p>When they sleep that night, Iwai dreamed of sweet kisses and a whisper of,</p><p> </p><p>"I'll come back to you."</p><p> </p><p>In the morning, Iwai found himself lay alone in the bed the moment he opened his eyes. Nowhere Akira to be seen. Only Kaoru's glasses were placed carefully on the nightstand.</p><p> </p><p>"I trust you." Iwai said.</p><p> </p><p>A few days passed blurry, but nothing changed since that night. The news still talking about the Phantom Thieves. Iwai was walking around the Shibuya in the cold night, then something caught his eyes. His breath stopped once he saw the giant screen in Shibuya talking about stealing Masayoshi Shido's heart. Then, there is it. There's Akira. Stand tall with the rest of the thieves.</p><p> </p><p>He was so proud of him.</p><p> </p><p>~◇◇◇~</p><p> </p><p>Months later after Shido's confession. Iwai was having his normal day, nothing special or different since the morning he woke up. Then afternoon and evening, it almost time for him to close his shop. The radio filled his shop with the music, "Beneath the mask". He supposes to have his normal boring day, then a customer entered his shop. He pays them no mind, they'll get what they need, pay him, and left. Simply like that.</p><p> </p><p>He still busy reading the magazine in his hand when the customer steps in front of his counter. With a sigh, he put the magazine away to deal with the customer. When he locked his eyes with the customer's, he knew that eyes the moment he saw them.</p><p> </p><p>A young man dressed in a black coat and turtleneck. He looked beautiful than ever, it just a few months back since they met, but it felt like a long time ago and they missed each other. The young man smiled at him. It took a moment for Iwai to move again, he smirked and called, "Akira"</p><p> </p><p>The young man smile widens and finally, he's back to him.</p><p> </p><p>"Munehisa."</p>
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